Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday announced a restructuring of the city's emergency management operations, saying the city's blueprint for responding to disasters has not changed since the Northridge earthquake in 1994. Under one of the proposed changes, the city authority that handles emergency preparedness would be chaired by the general manager of the city's Emergency Management Department, instead of the Los Angeles police chief as is the case now. The changes would require approval by the City Council.

The city is "on the cutting edge" of disaster preparedness, according to a commendation Santa Clarita received for a program that teaches residents how to be self-sufficient for up to three days after a major disaster. The Emergency Preparedness Commission for Los Angeles County and its cities recognized Santa Clarita this month for using volunteers and private companies to offer the disaster training at no cost to the public.

Drawing on real-life disaster stories, American Red Cross officials on Tuesday urged about 100 Ventura County business leaders to improve their emergency preparedness plans. In a short but hard-hitting lineup, speakers touched on the devastation of Hurricane Iniki in Hawaii, Hurricane Andrew in Florida and numerous earthquakes in California, which geologists believe are a prelude to the Big One.

Police and fire departments across the U.S. are "dangerously ill-prepared" to respond to terrorist attacks and governments need to spend another $100 billion over five years to improve emergency preparedness, a report says.

A state audit released this week warns that California's efforts to prepare for a terrorist attack or natural disaster are being undermined by a morass of red tape. State Auditor Elaine M. Howle says in the report that the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has let tens of millions of dollars in federal emergency preparedness grants languish unspent and has not adequately tested the ability of California's medical facilities to handle mass casualties.

Because of the continuing threat of bad weather, the City Council has extended the state of local emergency declared following the Jan. 4 floods. The council decision Tuesday enables the city to maintain its emergency preparedness and allows residents to seek state and federal assistance in case they suffer more damage from the anticipated heavy rains this week, officials said. City Manager Robert C.

Federal regulators have given the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and its neighboring communities high marks in being prepared for a nuclear disaster. "Generally we're happy with their performance," said Tom Ridgeway, branch chief for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees emergency preparedness. "They have demonstrated that they . . . have plans in place and the ability to protect the public." The good marks came in a report delivered at a briefing earlier this week.

Four southern Louisiana parishes were under a state of emergency Tuesday after heavy rains poured through the region, causing flash flooding. According to the governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness , a state of emergency was declared in Acadia, St. Landry, St. Martin and Lafayette parishes. No injuries were reported, but at least 77 residents had to be rescued from high water in Carencro , a town in Lafayette Parish, the state agency said.